


Doctored

by writingshirbert



Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-06 01:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21218204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingshirbert/pseuds/writingshirbert
Summary: Prompt: Delphine gets the croup





	Doctored

It's fall again when Delphine gets sick. It started with a runny nose and a mild fever, which was nothing to worry about... Or so Gilbert thought. He wanted to take her to see doctor Ward, but he's gone to Halifax for the week to give a few lectures at the local University. Now he's running through the fields in the cold midnight air, the soil is damp so his feet keep getting stuck in it, slowing him down and making him stumble, but he doesn't care. His head is throbbing and he blames himself, he should've studied more about illnesses in children, especially when he's living with one. He will never forgive himself if anything happens to Delphine, he couldn't help Mary, but he'll do everything in his power to save her child. Lost in his thoughts he saw the outline of Green Gables, a place he considered his second home, not really because of the place, but because of the people that live in it. He knew he would always find help there, no matter what.

Gilbert knew going to town and fetching a doctor was pointless as he became quite acquainted with the ways of discrimination on Prince Edward Island. Anne was his only hope. She said she's worked with children for many years and he had hope, even though that fact was all he had to go on...

He stormed in through the front door, making his way upstairs to Anne's room without thinking, busting the door open. Anne woke up with a gasp, startled, a strand of her messy hair getting stuck in the frame of the bed. He felt it wasn't proper to run into her bedroom in the middle of the night like this, but this was a pressing matter and he knew Anne would understand that.

"Gilbert?" She exclaimed, sitting up. Before she could open her mouth to continue, Gilbert blurted out: "Delphine's sick."

"How sick?"

"I..I.. I don't know... It started as a cold but now she's hyperventilating and coughing constantly, it sounds almost as if she was..."

"Barking?" Anne looked in his eyes and he nodded, completely stunned.

"Anyway... I tried giving her some medicine–"

"Ipecac?" Anne asked hopefully. "Did you give her Ipecac?"

No. He felt stupid in that moment, it didn't even occur to him to check for Ipecac in the kitchen shelves.

He sucked in a sharp breath and she didn't ask any further questions, just jumped out of bed and began knocking on Matthew's and Marilla's doors. She left him there to explain, running downstairs and loudly searching through all cupboards, not wasting any time. He gave Marilla an apologetic look as Anne stopped near the stairs, small bottle in hand, and gestured for him to come down.

Anne ran straight for the stables and he followed right behind her, panting. He noticed she was still in her nightgown and didn't put anything on, so he wrapped his coat around her shoulders. She gave him a weak smile and put it on, however Gilbert was sure that under different circumstances she would've stubbornly whacked him over the head over such gesture.

She put a saddle on Belle and told him to get on. He gave her a bit of a side eye, knowing it wasn't suitable to ride with a lady who's not your wife or at least your bethrothed, but she just rolled her eyes and shoved him forward. She too mounted the horse, sitting down right in front of him. And so they rode... If he found himself sitting this way with her any other time, he'd probably have inappropriate thoughts, but he was too overcome with worry to even notice. Not long after they were standing at his doorstep, Gilbert was pacing back and forth as Anne was tying Belle's reins to his gate.

"Don't worry, Gil," she said. "I know what to do, Minnie May had the same thing a few years back."

Bash opened the front door, screaming Anne's name in relief and she ran inside, Gilbert rushing after her.

"Put the kettle on, we need hot water," she said to Bash, roaming through their drawers to find a spoon.

"Put her on your knees and hold her."

Gilbert nodded, doing as he was told, Anne poured Ipecac on the spoon and into Delly's mouth. Delphine didn't swallow everything, so Gilbert wiped the remains off her chin with his finger and put it in Delly's mouth. Anne gave him an approving look while tearing up one of his clothes and dipping it in warm water. She put the cloth on Delly's head and told him to lean her out the window so she could breathe cold air until the water boiled. Gilbert wasn't accustomed to this, not knowing how to help, but he was doing his best to thoroughly follow Anne's orders.

She looked at Bash: "Eucalyptus?"

When he shook his head she headed for the pantry and came out with a few onions, quickly cutting them up.

"Here," she gave them to Gilbert. "Put this in her socks."

He gave her a weird look but obeyed without further questions. She turned around: "Make sure you put it at the soles of her feet, okay?"

"Okay."

"The water's ready," Bash screamed and Anne ran over, pouring it into a bucket, which she put right next to Gilbert's feet.

"Give her to me."

Anne squatted down and put Delly on her knees, making sure her head was right above the steam. Every breath she took sounded like a whistle... Then she started choking. Gilbert stood up abruptly, ready to panic, but Anne dismissed it.

"This is good. Bring me the cloth."

Putting the cloth on Delphine's mouth, Anne stared to pat and massage her back, until Delly coughed up a yellow substance.

It was all right.

Gilbert couldn't believe it.

Anne positioned Delly up on her knees and started rocking her, humming. He allowed himself to get lost in that sight, smiling like a fool.

"Is it over?" Bash asked.

"The worst part should be. I propose we give her some more Ipecac and put her to bed. I'll keep watch. But I firmly believe she's almost well."

He saw Bash collapse to the floor, covering his face with his hands, smiling. "Anne with an E, you are an angel sent from heaven..."

He heard Anne chuckle at that, standing up and smiling at Delly. She gave her over to him, but stayed close, her arms still interlaced with Gilbert's. For a moment they just kept smiling at Delphine, standing close enough to feel their breath bouncing off one another, until Anne caught herself and untangled herself from his arms. She took a step back, but gave him a supportive smile.

"Anyway..."

He felt the urge to repeat that word to her, just like he did three years ago, but stopped himself.

"You both should go to sleep. I'll stay awake with her... Make sure she's well."

Bash protested at first, but seeing as Delly's breathing got back to normal and her eyes were falling shut, he agreed to go to bed after he got to rock hos daughter to sleep. Anne sat down at the table, studying Mary's old spices. Gilbert went to wish Bash a Good night and they ended up sharing a few stories in his room. When he finally stepped into the hallway, Anne was going through their pantry.

She got startled at first when he came back to the kitchen, but then smiled at the sight of him.

"I thought you went to bed..." she said and he smirked, shaking his head. "I hope you don't mind, I thought I'd cook you something for breakfast. Bash is always complaining about your oatmeal, so I thought it'd be nice for you to change it up a little."

She turned away from him, ruffling through his cupboards and he couldn't help but grin.

"Bash was right."

"Huh?" She turned, leaning on the counter.

"You really are an angel sent from heaven."

She was shook by his words, frozen in place and her thoughts. He didn't mind. He went over to her and wrapped his hands around her torso in a tight hug. For a second he was worried she wasn't going to hug him back, but then he felt her arms twirl around his back. Right there, in that moment, he felt truly at home.

"You know sometimes," he said, thinking his words over. "Sometimes I can't believe you're real, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!   
Find me on Tumblr at @tvaddict24
> 
> PS: I take prompts! Hit me up :)


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